My One and Only
by PrincessBacon
Summary: It's everything he ever wanted, everything he never thought he'd have, and everything that became possible when he and James passed that first note in chemistry class. Kendall/James. For Clarry.


**Title:** My One and Only

**Summary: **It's everything he ever wanted, everything he never thought he'd have, and everything that became possible when he and James passed that first note in chemistry class. Kendall/James

**Author's Note:** This is dedicated to the wonderfully awesome **Clarry**. If you haven't read her stuff, check it out! You won't regret it. This story takes place in her "If You Can't Stand the Heat" universe. I was inspired, so I wrote this for her, and she said it was okay for me to post it here. If you haven't read it, this will still make sense, but the little details may not click. I'm a little nervous about this, but excited at the same time.

/

"I don't think this is a good idea."

"It'll be fine, James. I've been off crutches for a month now," Kendall says, wincing a bit as he puts weight on his injured leg. James gives him a questioning look, eyebrows rising and disappearing beneath his shiny hair.

Kendall sighs. "If it hurts too much, I'll sit down, okay?"

"Okay," James says. "Just don't fall."

"You'll just have to catch me if I do." Kendall takes James' hand, lacing their fingers together, and leads him towards the skating rink. It's after hours, so they have the ice all to themselves, just the way Kendall likes. He smiles, thinking of all the memories they've created in this very place, thinking of the way their supposed hatred turned into a powerful, passionate, all-consuming love that makes Kendall believe he could take on the world if he wanted to. He doesn't, though. He has everything he needs right by his side.

They step out onto the ice, Kendall wobbling a little, his injured leg throwing him off balance. He skates forward again and it's hell on his leg already, but he's not going to admit that. James notices that something's wrong, though, and turns around, skating backwards. He reaches out and grabs Kendall's hands, moving the two of them around the rink.

"You just have to get used to it again," he says. Kendall nods, gripping James' hands tighter. He secretly thinks that he may never be able to go back to hockey. He can't put too much weight on his leg, so he can't skate with the same groove he used to have, and he certainly can't rush the goal. He's a snail on blades and sure, they say slow and steady wins the race, but Kendall's always thought that was bullshit. Fast and furious is the way to win in hockey.

After a couple more synchronized laps, Kendall's feeling ready to try again. James lets go of his hands with a bit of hesitation and Kendall skates forward on his own, carving up the ice underneath his blades, feeling alive. He makes it three laps before a searing pain shoots down his leg and he stumbles, falling towards the ground.

James makes it there just in time, catching Kendall in his arms before he slams down on the ice, like some sort of personal superhero.

"Thanks, man," Kendall says, struggling to immediately get back up. His stupid pride won't let him just sit there, won't let him wait until the pain has faded and he falls down again. He hasn't fallen on the ice since James jumped on his back, wanting a piggy-back ride five years ago, and that time turned into a pretty awesome make out session, so he didn't really mind. He's not too thrilled with this time, though. He's a professional hockey player, dammit. He should be able to skate through anything.

"We should go home," James says, and there's so much concern in his eyes that Kendall almost melts on the spot. Ten years later and he still has to occasionally pinch himself to make sure this is all real.

"I love you," he says.

"I love you too," James says, pressing a soft kiss to Kendall's lips. "Now let's get out of here." He takes Kendall's hands again and slowly skates towards the exit, pausing whenever Kendall stumbles or grunts in pain. It takes a long time. Kendall can tell that James is trying to avoid hurting him even further and, as much as he loves him for it, he's getting a little impatient.

They finally make it out of the rink and remove their skates, James helping Kendall because he's having trouble bending his leg. Kendall's slipping his shoes on, almost ready to leave, when James suddenly jumps up, says "I forgot something in the car!", and sprints out of the place. Kendall makes a move to follow, but James turns around and tells him to wait there and that he'll be right back.

Kendall sits back down, trying to focus on something that isn't the sharp, throbbing pain in his leg, the constant reminder that more hockey certainly isn't in the near future. He looks around the place, noticing the chipped paint on the walls, the names carved into the wooden benches, the hot chocolate stain on the carpet. They've aged alongside each other, gained bumps and scars along the way, but nothing's really changed. The rink still has its character and Kendall's heart still belongs to James.

James returns, hands behind his back, clearly hiding something as he walks over to where Kendall is sitting. Kendall raises a bushy eyebrow, looking up to meet James' eyes, and James smiles a pure, brilliant, dazzling smile that should probably come with a warning sign. The radiance of it could make any mortal go blind, Kendall thinks. He's too lost in the intensity of James' eyes, though, to come across this problem.

"I love you," James says, taking one of Kendall's hands in his own, the other still behind his back. "I love you so much. There's no one else that I'd rather be with." Kendall's not quite sure where he's going with this, but he's about to say the same thing back when James cuts him off. "And I just- just, thank you, for making all my dreams come true. And for being the best boyfriend ever. And for coming from Minnesota. And- here."

He hands Kendall the bouquet of roses that he'd been keeping behind his back and Kendall accepts them graciously. They give each other roses almost every day, but these seem different somehow. Mostly because James looks really freaking nervous, like Kendall's going to throw the flowers on the ground and stomp on them or something.

"Look closer," he says quietly, and Kendall does. Near the bottom of the stems and holding all the roses together is a golden ring. Kendall's heart stops and then speeds up, working over time, pumping love through his veins.

"Will you marry me?" James asks, and before he can take a breath, Kendall's throwing his arms around, shouting "Yes!" and kissing him fiercely. James responds eagerly, pulling them closer together as if trying to meld their bodies into one, lips moving and tongues clashing. Kendall tries to get even closer and they fall to the ground, never parting, hands moving to run through each others' hair. The kiss softens, slows down, and Kendall's synapses are only firing love and passion, the pain in his leg gone completely.

And in that moment Kendall realizes that, sure, he loves hockey, but if he never gets to play again, it doesn't matter. Because he has James and they have a future together and James means more to him than anything else ever will.

When Kendall moved to San Diego, he had no idea what love was. He'd seen movies and read books, but it always seemed like a foreign concept, never something tangible. Now he knows that love is waking up with James beside him every morning. It's helping another person to be their very best. It's glances full of meaning, and touches that set his nerves on fire, and passionate kisses that turn his brain to mush. It's seeing James and just feeling like, no matter what, he knows where he belongs. It's envisioning the future, picturing the two of them as old men in rocking chairs, still happy and content and proud to have each other.

It's everything he ever wanted, everything he never thought he'd have, and everything that became possible when he and James passed that first note in chemistry class.

So, yeah, his leg is injured and may never go back to normal, but he wouldn't trade the life he has now for anything in the world.


End file.
